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Vert Mooney, MD died in car accident...RIP

Terrible news for those interested in the results of the torso rotation study going on at Dr. Mooney's Spine & Sport. I just saw this article in the news and checked his website and sure enough it's he who died. How very sad. Hopefully someone will continue on with the study.

Man who died after car went into ditch is identified
78-year-old wasn't breathing when paramedics arrived.

SAN JUAN CAPISTRANO Ė A man who died Tuesday after a solo-vehicle crash in which his car went into a ditch near a freeway off-ramp has been identified, authorities said.

Vert Mooney, 78, of Del Mar, suffered traumatic injuries, was not breathing and his heart was not beating when paramedics arrived near the Junipero Serra Roadd off-ramp of the southbound I-5 freeway Tuesday afternoon, said Capt. Greg McKeown of the Orange County Fire Authority.

God Bless Vert Mooney- A Great and Humble Man

10/14/2009

"Vert Mooney died yesterday afternoon on his way home from work, apparently from a heart attack or stroke. He was a pioneer in so many aspects of rehabilitation and one of the world's foremost spine surgeons, a wonderful husband and father, and a friend and mentor whose absence will be deeply felt.

I woke up in the wee hours this morning feeling his absence. His voice is still fresh for me; "Onward and upward, man!"

I'm certain that there are many aspects of Vert I will miss that will come to mind in the coming days, but the very first that I've noticed is how much I value his firm graciousness and his insistence on respect for all opinions. As a pioneer in medicine, it wasn't uncommon for him to be attacked by vested interests and by people whose cages he enjoyed rattling. I recall a scientific meeting many years ago in which we presented several research papers to about 500 orthopedic surgeons and then took questions. Our work was controversial because we had scientifically demonstrated the efficacy of alternatives to expensive surgical procedures; not exactly what spine surgeons wanted to hear. One of our group was so concerned about the reception of his paper that he actually fainted at the lectern and had to be revived. After we presented, Vert was the moderator, taking questions from the floor. Immediately he was hit with angry "questions" that were really diatribes by angry red-faced surgeons who were used to telling other people what was what. Vert, with deep roots in the scientific and academic communities and as a founder and past president of all of the major pertinent professional associations simply responded with, "Thank you for your question" and asked for the microphone to be passed. He was polite and not dismissive, allowing people to have their say, trusting that our findings based on good research, would stand on its own, which was true. As the diatribes diminished and actual questions began to surface, he encouraged all of us, but most especially the junior members of our research group to respond, which, with Vert having our back, we were able to do. That was a very special moment for me and provided a template for how to be a mentor. Being a pioneer is fun, but it is often difficult and the absolute best way to defuse difficult situations is with grace. Vert was firm, not backing away from a fight, but always treating everyone in the conversation with grace and respect.

Today, I send prayers to Vertís family and many friends, for our shared loss and thanking God for his gift of Vertís presence in our lives. Millions have benefited from his work, many of us directly, and the world is so much better because he led and inspired us."

A Hero Indeed

10/14/2009

Dear friends and colleagues:

Dr Mooney passed away yesterday in a car accident on his way home from work.

Dr. Mooney received his Orthopedic Surgery training at the University of Pittsburgh between 1960 and 1964, after earning his Medical Doctorate in 1957 from Columbia University College of Physicians and Surgeons. Dr. Mooney was Board Certified by the American Board of Orthopaedic Surgery in 1967 and is a Fellow of the Royal Society of Medicine.

Dr. Mooney was named one of the 20 most distinguished Orthopedic Surgeons in the Town & Country Magazine Annual Survey in 1989. He also served an appointment by Governor Pete Wilson to the California Industrial Medical Council and was integral in developing the functional capacity evaluation standards for the state.

Dr. Mooney is an internationally recognized leader in clinical work and medical research related to Orthopaedics who has conducted groundbreaking studies in many areas of Orthopaedics, restorative exercise, and physical medicine. He has written over 200 articles and abstracts in peer reviewed scientific journals, over 30 chapters for medical texts, and in the past 7 years has been invited to speak at over 150 medical conferences throughout the world. Dr. Mooney is the recipient of the 2008 Wiltse Lifetime Achievement Award in Lumbar Spine Research from the International Society for the Study of Lumbar Spine (ISSLS).

Dr. Mooney was the Medical Director and one of the founders of MDRS / Spine and Sport and the President of the Spine and Sport Foundation.

Most of all he was a very wise and compassionate man, mentor, a good friend and we will miss him deeply.

Vert, we we will move " Onward and upward " through this unguarded moment...